Tag: orange

Breakfast, Pancakes, Spreads

Cranberry Orange Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup

Sarah

When we’re home and I’m not training for a marathon that requires me to spend the majority of my Saturday mornings out on a long run, our typical Saturday routine is to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and then waste the day away with football games [Ben] and a good book [me] until we drag ourselves out the door to go workout, unless it is summertime, in which case we workout first thing to avoid the heat. Whoa. Run-on sentence. Sorry. All that to say, our leisurely breakfasts are the best. Except figuring out what to make. I’m a weekend breakfast snob, pretty much always insisting on some form of pancakes or waffles or egg casserole or french toast or or or… anything but boring toast or cold cereal. Not on the weekend…LAME!

Most men would delight in that. 1950s ideals and all. You know what the kicker is? 99% of the time, Ben would be just fine with eating dry Cheerios out of the box. Seriously. He uses a bowl, because of me, but how lame is that? So every week, our conversation is: what do you want for breakfast? Oh, cereal is fine. Really? Well if you really want to make something, I’d eat it… blah blah blah. But THIS SATURDAY!! This Saturday was different! When I asked Ben what he wanted for breakfast and said I was in a pancake mood, he immediately asked if there was a recipe somewhere for cranberry pancakes.

Cranberry pancakes? Well, I wasn’t sure, but a little Googling later led me to this awesome fare.

Cranberry Orange Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup | The Pajama Chef

Yup, that’s definitely a big ‘ole stack of Cranberry Orange Pancakes with a bowl of Cranberry Maple Syrup! Can it get any better?

Cranberry Orange Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup | The Pajama Chef

These pancakes were fluffy and sweet, slightly scented with a faint flavor of orange, while also having the unmistakable tartness of cranberries in each bite. So so so good! And the syrup! It was the star of the show, almost like a mixture of jam and syrup together… thick and sticky, as any good syrup is. It goes without saying that the cranberries in the syrup are tart…but a good tart, like cranberry sauce tart. Mmmm! A little vanilla in the syrup sophisticates this syrup. SO GOOD!

Cranberry Orange Pancakes with Cranberry Maple Syrup | The Pajama Chef

Wait! It does get better because it was the boring breakfast eater who inspired me to find this recipe. Except now that I look at the photos, I realize it couldn’t have been Saturday morning when these photos were taken because it was obviously dark out so I took them indoors. Sigh. That means my story is slightly invalid… but the principle still remains! And these pancakes are incredible. I think we must have made these Friday night. Exciting lives we lead…haha. They are sure to become a Christimastime favorite in your house too. Enjoy! 🙂

Cranberry Orange Pancakes [from Coastal Living]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter $
  • zest of 1/2 an orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, thawed if previously frozen

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. In a large measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, egg, butter, orange zest, and vanilla extract.

Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then add cranberries and mix gently until incorporated. Let batter rest while skillet heats up.

Meanwhile, heat canola oil on a large griddle or skillet set over medium-high heat. When hot, reduce heat to medium and add batter, 1/4 cup for each pancake, then cook for 2-4 minutes or until edges cook and top is bubbly. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: ~16 pancakes.

Cranberry Maple Syrup [from Coastal Living]

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, divided [thawed if frozen]
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

Bring maple syrup and 3/4 cup cranberries to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to low, then simmer for 3-4 minutes until cranberries begin to pop. Crush cranberries with a potato masher, then add remaining cranberries. Simmer for another 2 minutes, then stir in vanilla and butter.

Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: 1 cup.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes

Orange-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry

Sarah

So I enjoy Chinese takeout about as much as anyone else… but not as much as Ben. If he had it his way, he’d be chowing down on pseudo-Asian food every other night, with a healthy dose of meat and potatoes on the other night. Why doesn’t this happen in our house? Well, let’s see… salt, salt, MSG, salt, salt, lack of veggies, salt, salt… I think you get the picture. Oh, and I like to cook, not just get takeout. So what’s my compromise? Making takeout at home! [I bet you never saw that one coming. Ha!]

My latest attempt is a play off the ‘ole [un]authentic orange chicken. Instead of a gloopy, fake-colored sauce coating a few sad vegetables and the classic “little chicken/lots of breading,” sauted chicken, broccoli, mushrooms, and water chestnuts are tossed with a sweet-spicy orange glaze. The orange glaze is made with orange juice and [gasp!] a whole real orange. It’s amped up with fresh ginger and garlic, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, and two kinds of pepper. Can it get any better than this?

I’m sorry, but this sweet-spicy citrus glaze has flavors that the corner Chinese place just cannot achieve! I know those places aren’t authentic, and in no way do I think my version is either. But I do know it’s good. So good in fact, that we both wanted the leftovers… a rareity in this house! Now, if only I could make brown rice as soft and pillowy as that Chinese place can…

Orange-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry [adapted from Pretty Delicious by Candice Kumai]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
  • 1 3/4 cup orange juice, divided
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chile pepper flakes
  • zest of 1 orange + 1 orange, peel removed and fruit chopped into bite size pieces
  • 3/4 pound chicken breasts, thinly sliced into bite size pieces
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
  • hot cooked brown rice, for serving

Directions:

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute, stirring continually, for 60 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 1 1/2 cups orange juice, honey, soy sauce, cayenne, red chile pepper flakes, and orange zest. Zest Simmer gently until sauce is thick and syrupy, approximately 20 minutes.

Next, heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in an electric wok at 350 degrees. Add chicken and toss to stir-fry, cooking until all sides are golden, approximately 3-4 minutes total. Then add broccoli, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and orange chunks. Pour remaining 1/2 cup orange juice over everything, then cover and cook for 2-3 minutes until hot. [Alternatively, you could cook everything in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat.

Pour in orange sauce and toss to coat. Serve over hot cooked brown rice.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4-5 servings.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Sunrise Muffins

Sarah

So, I know I only mentioned this once in passing, but January was my cookbook month. That is, I made a vow to not cook or bake from online sources during the month of January. Of course I posted recipes from online sources, but that’s only because they were things I had made previously and was just getting around to sharing. As a result, I got to know some of my cookbooks a bit better and also got to meet some new faces, thanks to my local library.

That sounded really cheesy. Sorry. I’m in library school, but I don’t have to sound like a PBS kids show, now do I?

Anyway.

A cookbook that caught my eye at the library one day was Allison Fishman‘s You Can Trust a Skinny Cook. I’m on my second renewal of this fantastic cookbook, and have tried several recipes so far. Everything has been great! But what I really love is that Allison’s food philosophy is so apparent throughout her book. This isn’t a diet cookbook like you might think from the title; it’s a balance cookbook. Allison is all about serving tasty, healthy, natural foods that aren’t “weird” or hard to find, but that are tasty to the point of “mmmm.” Works for me! I won’t get into more about Allison’s philosophy cause you should really check her cookbook out for yourself, especially if you’re an Ellie Krieger fan, but I did want to share one of my new favorite muffin recipes.

Sunrise Muffins. I wanted to make this recipe first thing after flipping through her cookbook, thanks to the uniqueness of the method: you put an entire orange, peel, pith, and fleshy-orange-goodness-all into a food processor or blender and churn away. This process lends not only amazing flavor to your breakfast, snack, dessert, or anytime creations, but natural food coloring as well! All the better, I think, since bright, colorful things make me happy.

And you all want me to be happy, right?

So try these muffins. I know I tell you to try everything, but this time… I really mean it. Best new recipe of 2012 in my book, right here. Enjoy!

Sunrise Muffins [from You Can Trust a Skinny Cook by Allison Fishman]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 navel orange, scrubbed and dried, cut into eights
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar [original calls for 3/4 cup, but 1/2 cup is plenty]
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners*. Add orange slices, orange juice, egg, and oil to a food processor [or blender], and pulse until smooth. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in orange mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in cranberries, then spoon into muffin cups. Fill each about 3/4 of the way full, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Time: 35 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: *12 standard size muffins or 48 mini muffins [bake for 17-20 minutes].

Notes: I’ve also made these with 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips instead of the cranberries. Yes, that is a size difference but they were plenty chocolately for me.

Breakfast, Recipes, Waffles

Sweet Potato Waffles

Sarah

Making waffles at home always makes me feel fancy. There’s something special about food that can only be shaped in a mold. They remind me of going out to breakfast when I was growing up since my mom used to always order waffles when we’d eat out. Sometimes I would order a big Belgian waffle too, which is something I haven’t had from a restaurant in years. Nowadays when I go out for breakfast I usually order a fancy omelette or pancakes. And that’s because I now make my waffles at home!

These Sweet Potato Waffles are the newest waffle recipe I’ve tried and I am so glad to say that it’s a keeper! I loved the subtly-sweet flavor of the sweet potato complemented by orange zest, cinnamon, and vanilla. It reminded me of a ligher version of everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. My husband, like Lindsay’s was initially skeptical of the sweet potato inclusion in a classic breakfast dish, but he turned his frown upside down after a bite of these delicious waffles. We enjoyed them as a quick dinner after a workout last week alongside some orange slices and bacon but I see no reason why they wouldn’t be equally delicious for a lazy Saturday morning. You could also prepare a batch in advance, freeze them, and then defrost as needed during the week. I used to do that all the time and love it… the toaster oven works best for re-heating, though if your toaster is big enough [or the waffles small enough] then that works too. I haven’t done that in awhile, I should definitely jump back on the frozen waffle bandwagon. Move over, Eggos! The Pajama Chef is here. 🙂 Enjoy!

Note: I’ve recently had problems with my FeedBurner email/rss subscriptions. Be sure to sign up again on the right if need be so you don’t miss a post. Thanks!

Sweet Potato Waffles [adapted from The Lean Green Bean]

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • zest of 1 large orange
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Peel and dice sweet potato. Place in a large measuring cup and add a little water then microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes to cook. Add butter and mash [or pre-cook in the oven, I just was pressed for time]. Let cool for a minute or two while you turn on your waffle iron to preheat. Then, add milk, sugar, eggs, orange zest, and vanilla and stir to combine. Fold in flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Scoop by 1/3-1/2 cup increments onto hot waffle iron [I used about 1/3 of a cup while Lindsay used about 1/2 of a cup]. Batter will puff up a lot but don’t worry, these will be well worth the mess! Cook until golden brown and serve with butter and syrup/brown sugar.

Click here for the printable version: Sweet Potato Waffles

Main Dishes, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes, Seafood and Fish

OTT: Citrus Tilapia

Sarah

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

———-

Citrus Tilapia | thepajamachef.com
The whole cast of characters.

Bonjour and bienvenue!  This is my latest Monday night meal.  With Sarah being on campus until 6, I take control of the kitchen on these days this semester.  Well, since my lovely wife was ill the previous week, I wanted to make a “real” dinner this past Monday.  So, in a brash display of something far shy of wisdom, I decided to make up my own recipe.  I really like fish.  I also really like citrus flavors, and my experience tells me that these two things fit together nicely.  So I came up with the following.

Citrus Tilapia

Ingredients:

  • tilapia filets (as many as needed to feed your family)
  • lime juice (roughly 1 T per filet)
  • lemon pepper (we have one that you grind, but approximately 1/2 t per filet for the marinade, and more to taste sprinkled on top)
  • orange zest (roughly 1/2 t per filet)
  • dried cilantro

Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line baking dish with foil and cover lightly with cooking spray (you don’t have to use foil, but if you don’t definitely use cooking spray or grease the pan in some way).  Place filets in baking dish.  In small bowl combine lime juice, lemon pepper, and orange zest to make marinade.  Brush the marinade onto the filets, coating evenly.  I used the entirety of my marinade, but as long as they’re all well covered that’s what matters.  Sprinkle lemon pepper and dried cilantro to taste on top of filets.  Bake in oven for 9-11 minutes or until fish flakes easily.  Serve with your choice of sides.  I made a tasty salad and homemade fries!  Eat until full, take a break, come back, and eat some more.  Yum.

Salad to serve with Citrus Tilapia | thepajamachef.com
This is my salad (obviously). It’s made with romaine lettuce, red cabbage, carrots, dried blueberries, craisins, dried papaya and topped with two slices of orange, homemade croutons and poppyseed dressing.
Fries to serve with Citrus Tilapia | thepajamachef.com
These fries were baked in the oven for about ten minutes longer than the fish at the same temperature. They’re made from red potatoes coated in olive oil and sprinkled with lemon pepper and kosher salt. Excellent.

In lieu of a related question, I will ask what has been running around in my mind recently.

What would you do for a Klondike bar?

Personally, I would root for Michigan and the Patriots in the same weekend. Oh, the horrors! (As long as OSU isn’t playing Michigan. That’s pushing it. No food is worth that!)